Purpose

Material Witness will focus on extreme textile process. Images will be posted here showing the history of my work, new work, developing projects and inspiration.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Ever Evolving

I spent the last few days looking for 4"X6" canvas to finish a small series for a commission.
Not one to be found anywhere!
Used another canvas that had a burnt work on it but also had the African paper that was so important to the little work. So I scrapped and peeled for two full days. Hardest thing I remember doing because I was trying to preserve the paper border which would not even steam off. Blue sweat!

Finally finished scrapping and picking with no canvas shredding. Will never do that again!

Result is that the new primer has worked very well and covered up any burns and flaws.
The new emulsion is drying well and should be ready to reburn tomorrow.

Got my apartment in Fort Nelson today. The housing authority kept trying to negotiate newly improved basement suites! One snowfall and no windows so I negotiated a second floor with a balcony and a mountain view and a tree. Made my first northern fumble when I found out the building is pet friendly and in an innocent but concerned voice inquired about a flea policy. I am allergic to fleas and hate them. Voice on the other end of the phone burst out laughing. She, in a stage whisper, asked her co-workers if they had a flea policy and the room roared with laughter.

"Honey...we don't have fleas, head lice, bed bugs or cockroaches up here. They freeze to death! So do the house flies! So do half the people for that matter!"

Rumour has it that the black flies and other vampires make up for it in the summer and fall.

The Vancouver kitchen and bathroom are now finished. The home and studio sorting is underway and I pack to leave for the first visit on the 9th of September. We drive up and I leave Tim and fly back to pack for real.

I am trying to figure out what to do with 13 hole punches, tea tins, old dyes, empty paint bottles, 4 pin cushions, a trunk of old chinese papers and trunks and trunks full of cloth. A whole lot less stuff than before I moved to Wells last year. Will have to decide about the library, looms, drafting tables and extra sewing machines.

1 comment:

arlee said...

try the dollar stores for small canvases--or give me your new address, and i'll send you some--they have the flat type or the stretched and wood framed